I was recently put back in prison, again by the immigration authorities, and it was during this second time in prison that the Lord did a wonderful thing for me through Martin's ministration. I had been in prison a few days, and for the first few days I was in good spirits and still trusting and fellowshipping with the lord. But as it dragged on to about a week, I became more desperate and just fed up with the whole situation. My partner and kids had endured two years of me being absent, which only ended last August, and I just didn't think it was right for me to be back, especially since I had not committed any new criminal offence. I got so fed up that I cried and really cried hot tears to the Lord to have mercy on me and intervene on my behalf. I really needed God's help and knew that only He could come through for me. I did this at about evening time, but by night time a huge spirit of depression and despondency came over me. It started to tell me that for sure God wasn't going to help me - so why bother with Him! If He really wanted to help you, you would not be here in the first place, said the spirit to me, and then it started to remind me of certain things I had been trusting God for in the past which I had not received! My faith was by now just slipping further and further into my shoes. In fact that night, I did not do any prayers or anything, which was quite unusual as I would normally have praised and prayed until about 2 in the morning. But as things later turned out, I realised that this was the Devil's way of stopping me from being effective because once he had me in that state of mind, and so depressed, then I would stop fellowshipping and praying and praising God, and then the devil would be in control! As Christians, we must always remember what the Bible says about our enemy the devil being on the prowl, always looking for someone to devour.

But the next day, I was just relaxing in my cell when I was told I had a visitor, which turned out to be Martin. We met and he told me that another Christian sister who was our mutual acquaintance had told him the previous day to come up and see me. I was quite surprised, but happy. As the Bible says, "Blessed in the one who comes in the name of the Lord," but surprised anyway because that was the same day I had been crying out in the cell to God! Martin counselled me and he subsequently prayed for me. To God's glory, I witnessed there and then the power and glory of God. Me, who just before coming out of the cell to Martin was feeling suicidal, after the prayer, I felt so renewed and so happy!! - a very different sort of happiness from the usual everyday happiness. Even during the prayer, I suddenly felt like a huge weight was being lifted off my shoulders! It was such a tremendous feeling! Going back to my cell, I felt so very happy deep inside. This was a feeling I could not explain, and before I left, Martin told me as we prayed, demons were flying out of the door!! This would explain the renewal and lightness that I felt inside of me! The next morning, though I was in a prison cell with a very basic bed, I woke up feeling very strong and happy - for the first time in a very very long time. Most times when I wake, I feel depressed and just so tired, even though I have slept for the previous eight hours! The way I felt that morning just confirmed that I had had the touch of the living God the previous day!!

Looking back, I can now see that it was definitely God's intervention or an answer to prayer that Martin had come in the first place. Actually, at the time he was allowed to see me, it was lunch time and the prison officers would not normally have allowed that. And more so, they allowed him to see me for about 45 minutes over lunch, which I myself knew, from my two years' stay in there, was highly unusual.

I have often read these sorts of stories of experiencing the amazing power of the living God, but it was to me just stuff that I read on the pages of magazines! I therefore ask everyone reading this to help me thank God for His goodness to me and for his faithfulness to me, because, just about five days after this incident I was also released!

I would as such want to urge anyone out there reading this, in similar circumstances or trusting God for other things, to take strength from the word of God to the extent that "... all who cry out to the Lord will be saved," and also "the Lord is near to all who call on him in truth," and also "the fervent and effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much".... Now we all know that we have righteousness through the blood of Jesus: as such it is important to not get discouraged but take God at his word!!! ...... just like we would a bank manager who writes us a cheque for £500!

Fervent prayer means to keep praying morning night and day and not be discouraged. The enemy never likes that sort of prayer, because he knows that that kind of praying always yields results - that was why the enemy attacked with the spirit of depression and doubt and frustration, which the Lord then delivered me from ..... so that my faith could be restored and I could keep up the spiritual fire of prayers and praise worship!

Stay blessed!